Program Description
This is a CPA Requirement Certificate: The Washington State Board of Accountancy is responsible for final transcript approval prior to granting acceptance to take the Certified Public Accountant exam.
Accounting is the basic language of business, and a career that opens a wide variety of doors in the business world. Accounting students study the rules and software at play in the world of business, using effective communication skills to break down complex issues for their clients and managers so that they can make good business decisions.
The increased globalization of businesses makes the varied skillset of an Accounting professional in high demand across a wide variety of industries and settings.
The CPA Requirement Certificate is designed for students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree and desire to meet the specific accounting and business education requirements stipulated by the Washington State Board of Accountancy. These requirements must be met in order to become eligible to take the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam.
Career Opportunities
Accounting as a discipline has broad employment possibilities in both public practice, private industry, non-profit organizations, and government. Graduates that continue on to pass the CPA exam and meet the experience requirements will be issued a CPA license by the Washington State Board of Accountancy. This designation qualifies the holder for more senior positions in public accounting firms, controllerships in private and non-profit organizations, and senior positions in the finance departments of local, state, and federal agencies.
Other Options:
- Financial Examiner
- Budget Analysts
- Credit Analysts
South Puget Sound Community College believes that all students need to develop a broad range of abilities that will not only make them more effective in their professional pursuits but will enhance their capacity to relate well to others in their daily lives. At the end of this program students will:
- In a complex setting, students will be able to gather and analyze a variety of information using accounting concepts to draw appropriate and supportable conclusions
- Clearly express in a variety of forms accounting information that is useful to a broad class of decision-makers
- Properly select quantitative and qualitative accounting data and apply a process to the data in order to reach accurate and reliable conclusions
- Recognize ethical dilemmas in the workplace and assess the consequences of these dilemmas
- Identify and adjust to workplace differences in order to operate collaboratively and effectively in an organizational setting
The SPSCC college-wide abilities are embedded into each program:
- Analytical Reasoning
- Effective Communication
- Information Literacy
- Multicultural Awareness
- Social Responsibility
Courses by Quarter (Pathway Map)
Check with your advisor to determine where you will start. Advisors must approve changes to academic plan.
Pre-College Level
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| 1 - 7.5 |
| Applied Math I | |
| Applied Math II | |
| Contextualized Math I | |
| 1 -10 |
| ESOL Level I (Beginning Literacy) | |
| ESOL Level II (Low Beginning) | |
| ESOL Level III (High Beginning) | |
| ESOL Level IV (Low Intermediate) | |
| ESOL Level V (High Intermediate) | |
| ESOL Level VI (Advanced) | |
| ABE Language Arts III (Low Intermediate Language Arts) | |
| ABE Language Arts IV (High Intermediate Language Arts) | |
| ABE Language Arts V (Adult Secondary Level Language Arts) | |
College Level
This degree is a total of 80 credits.
Advising Notes
***Required indicates that students must take one of the specific courses listed. Any substitution would require Advisor and Department approval.
***Recommended indicates that Pathway faculty recommend the courses listed, but other courses may fulfill the degree requirement. Students should consult with Advisor about additional course options.
- A Bachelor's Degree is required prior to entry of the program. A cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required in order to earn a certificate or degree and a "C" or better is required in all ACCT courses. A "C" or better must also be earned in all prerequisite ACCT courses.
- This certificate is designed for students who already have a bachelors degree, in any field. The purpose of the certificate is to enable students to meet the education requirements to qualify to sit for the CPA exam. The actual courses a student will need will vary depending on their undergraduate courses.
Pathway Notes
